Mayor Mamdani to join New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, Harvard Economist Ed Glaeser as mainstage speakers for 2026 Assembly
Regional Plan Association (RPA) announced today that Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City will join the 2026 RPA Assembly on Friday, May 1, to deliver remarks.
Regional Plan Association’s annual Assembly is a convening of over 1,000 policy experts, public officials, and business leaders to debate bold solutions for the metropolitan region. Mamdani, elected the 112th Mayor of New York City this past November, will join RPA for a day of conversation about affordability in the New York City metropolitan region.
“New Yorkers are fed up with a city that works for the wealthy and powerful while working people struggle to get by. They are demanding something better — a future rooted in affordability and opportunity,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Each year, experts convene at the RPA Assembly to think boldly about the future of our city. I’m eager to join that conversation and to help turn those ideas into action for our neighbors.”
“It’s an honor to welcome Mayor Mamdani to the RPA Assembly this year,” said James Rubin, Board Chair of RPA. “The Mayor has been leading the city, the region, and the nation in pressing conversations around quality of life, and we’re thrilled to have him discuss his work at our event on May 1.”
“The Mayor’s focus on housing, transportation, climate, and affordability are all key priorities for RPA, so it’s only natural for Mayor Mamdani to join us for this year’s Assembly,” said Tom Wright, President and CEO of RPA. “We’re thrilled to hear the lessons he’s learned from his first months in office and learn his vision for the future.”
This year’s mainstage speakers also include Mikie Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey; Edward L. Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University; and Jamie Rubin, RPA’s recently elected Board Chair and CIO of Aligned Climate Capital. Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), will also join the Assembly on May 1 to accept the John E. Zuccotti Award.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani is the 112th Mayor of New York City. Born in Uganda and raised in New York City, he was elected in 2020 to the New York State Assembly, where he fought to lower the cost of living, expand access to public transit, and secure financial relief for taxi drivers. A former housing counselor, Mamdani brings a deep commitment to working-class New Yorkers to his leadership as mayor.
Mamdani will join RPA at Pier 60 on Friday, May 1. More information about the Assembly is available on RPA’s website.
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About Regional Plan Association
Regional Plan Association (RPA) is an independent non-profit organization that conducts research, planning and advocacy to expand economic opportunity, environmental resiliency, improved health, and better quality of life in the New York metropolitan area. Since the 1920s, RPA has produced four landmark plans for the region. The most recent was released in November 2017. Learn more at rpa.org
